Scientists stated that the art of kissing did not originate as a romantic gesture.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to the Daily Star.
Researchers at the University of Warwick suggest that kissing evolved among our ancient ancestors, apes, around seven million years ago as a way to rid themselves of parasites such as ticks and lice. They used their lips to help clean each other's fur when they moved from the trees to the ground.
There are many different types of kissing, but they all share a common feature called “lip protrusion and gentle suction,” the researchers say. According to evolutionary psychologist Adriano Lameira, the behaviour was practised between members of a community and was not limited to mothers with children or sexual partners.
Today, chimpanzees use their fingers to remove the parasites and finish the process by picking up any remaining pests with their mouths. Scientists believe the ritual has evolved, retaining only the final part of the grooming procedure, to become an expression of affection and love.
When a grooming monkey finishes grooming by kissing the groomer, it shows parallels to human kissing in a way that no other proposed behavior has yet demonstrated,— the scientists noted.
A study published in the journal Microbiome found that a 10-second kiss can carry up to 80 million bacteria and about 700 different strains. In a study of 21 couples, scientists found that those who kissed nine times a day or more had similar oral bacteria. The presence of such bacteria is considered normal, and experts believe that kissing can support immunity and promote gut health.
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